Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-09-10

BlONtS, WIS SHE lOullQ
herself seated next 10 young man whose
clothes fitted him so perfectly that it
seemed almost worldly. He had been in
troduced to her that evening as Mr..
Jack" Something-or-other, the brother of
the hostess. When the paper was finished
and everybody began discussing its points
she turned to the young man, who seemed
quite reserved, with a courteous desire to
make him feel at ease.
''Are you engaged in scientific pursuits ?"
she asked.
Somewhat" he replied
"Do you read this evening? '
have a paper. 1t doesn't amount to
much," he said modestly.
might ask the subject?"
Certainly. 1t is Researches into the
Reticence of the Horned Toad"
Indeed" she said, and she nodded as if
the subject was quite familiar to her. 1t
was the way that all professors wives did.
Have you been at it long,"
"Some months"
''And what do you find is the cause of
lists reticence, think you said ?"
He nodded. 81 have concluded that it
is because it has absolutely nothing to say"
She looked at him sharply in surprise.
There was an inexpressibly droll look in
his eyes. She burst into peal of laughter.
1t was too funny. Then she checked her
self and blushed deeply. Everybody had
looked up at the frivolous sound. The
professor smiled in good-humored sympa-
thy from across the room. 1t occurred to
him that he had not heard her laugh like
that for long time.
g How could vO1, ~ che acl,aJ NJ Toll
in low tones of reproach minute later.
You are disgrace to this meeting"
Well, my sister will make it up" he
said dryly. She's bIuer than skim milk.
Just try her on the Notness of the Amt"
She laughed again. 1t was the rankest
heresy, but she could not help it. 1t felt
good to laugh. There was scarcely paper
read that evening which did not call forth
a shot from the free and fearless Arab at
her side, except the professors. He COM
plimented that quite gracefully. She
seemed to know him awfully well, and was
with him all the evening. She invited
him cordially at the close to come and see
them.
Mr.. Jacks Irish eyes were very far
sighted and for other things besides the
invoices and sales which occupied him
during the day in Front street in San
Francisco. He had seen her several times
on the ferryboat and trains, knew who she
was, and was very DESTROYS of knowing her
personally. 1t had not been an accident
that found him seated next to her at the
meeting. He was delighted to find that
all his pleasant impressions concerning her
were correct.
During the following week he called to
see them and spend the evening. The
professor suspended his labors for tine,
and finally wandered back to them with
an apology to his guest. Mr.. Jack did not
conceal his chaglin over what some people
might have regarded as a lapse in hos
pitality, because he felt none. He was
quite content to remain in the sitting-room
and chat with his hostess over things in
general. He called again.
The influence of scientific surroundings
appeared, after time, to have quite
civilizing effect on their caller. He had
gathered great deal of information, and
the interest he took in the Goblin moth
subject. He listened to the professor with
undiminishing attention and became
frequent visitor. 1t seemed as though his
appetite for entomology was difficult to
satisfy. Finally, one evening the pro-
fessor insisted upon reading to him the
opening chapter of his work.
She looked immensely amused at the
proposition, and from some cause a smile of
malicious satisfaction lurked about the
corners of her mouth. She appeared to
think, for some reason, that it served him
right. The professor began
OF all the pests which are at present injuring
the crops of the California fruit farmer, and
thereby greatly diminishing the revenues of in
dividuals and of the State, not one is of such
scientific interest and commercial Importance
both through its wide prevalence and its great
capacity for destruction-as the insect known as
the Goblin moth or apple worm, the Carpocapsa
pomonella of Linn
The professor read his periods with
sonorous satisfaction, with the eloquence of
Webster before the senate of all nature,
counseling the entire order of lepidoptera
to mend their ways and reform. He went
on:
The Goblin moth is a whitish. sixteen-legged
worm-introduced into California through fruit
shipments east of the Rocky mountains-whose
chosen habitat is the apple, although it is equally
destructive to the ounce and to the pear The
indeterminate fashion in which previous OBJ
servers have grouped it together with the apple
curculio, or autonomous quadrigibbus of Say,
the pear-tree scolytus of Peck, and the twelve
spotted diabrotica of Oliver, as closely related
members of the same family OF tortric,de, is the
primary cause of the many erroneous conyic-
lions which are still very generally held con-
corning the Goblin moth.
Has there been much popular miscon-
ception on that point ?" asked Mr.. Jack
critically.
"Oh, yes great DEAL" said the pro-
lessor, stopping. You see the pear-tree
scolytus is unquestionably of the new fam
lily, the scolyte the curculio represents a
distinct class, the curculionida while that
the tweve-spotted diabrotica is clearly one
of the chrvsomelide no man with half an
eye can doubt"
Indeed p' said Mr.. Jack, nodding. He
didn't seem to be altogether satisfied on the
point, but was not disposed to dispute it.
She did not dare to look at him. She was
biting her lips to keep from laughing, and
surprised at herself She must be getting
very wicked, she thought.
The moth passes the winter in the larva state
and in some instances in the chrysalis form.
The Larvae can be found alternating under the
loosened bark, and in crotches, indents and
cracks of the firm bark in trees which have been
infested the previous year. The moth from the
alternating larva is of light drab color on the
body and legs and mottled gray and drab on the
wings. 1t deposits its eggs in the blossom end
or calyx of the fruit from the middle of April to
the middle of May. More than one egg or larva
is rarely found on single apple, pear or
ounce, but in from seven to ten days after its
deposit it gnaws through the pericarp of the
fruit and begins to burrow toward the core.
Thunder y CALCULATED Mr.. Jack.
"What is it ?' said the professor, peer
ing over his spectacles.
al have cut through my pericarp, | am
afraid said Mr. Jack with an apologetiC
smile. He held up one of his fingers,
which showed red bead of blood, increas-
ing rapidly in size.
How did you do it ?"
was carelessly opening and shutting
| this knife blade. 1t is new and sharp and
pressed on it too hard"
Let me tie rag around it, said she
and ran out of the room for cloth and
thread. Mr.. Jack went into the kitchen
to battle the cut in cold water She found
him there, and it took a good while to fix
it, as the bleeding inconsiderately refused
to stop. When she came back the professor
was deep in his work, and Mr. Jack would
not let her disturb him. He could hear il
in time, he said. They accordingly went
into the sitting room for some Mendelssohn